Truck racer Matt Mingay has facial surgery

Australian truck racing driver Matt Mingay remains in a serious but stable condition after having surgery for facial injuries following a crash at Belle Isle, Michigan, on Saturday.

His family said he had surgery on Saturday night, according to a statement from the Stadium Super Truck Series. Mingay remained at Detroit Receiving Hospital on Sunday.

Mingay’s truck overturned during the third lap of the race, which was eventually suspended after a long delay.

Following another SST race Sunday, fellow Australian driver Paul Morris provided more details on Mingay’s condition, saying he’d lost his jaw and all his bottom teeth.

“His brain’s intact, his spine’s intact, so he’s got a long road ahead of him, hopefully we’ll get him out of here in the next couple of weeks, get him stabilised and get back to Australia and get his head rebuilt, and he’ll be brand new.”

The SST circuit features high-horsepower trucks designed to take flight off jumps. Races feature ramps set up throughout the course, and trucks can be launched six metres in the air, covering around 50 metres, with the risk of accident and injury always present.

“It’s something that we accept even before we get in the truck,” said Australian Matt Brabham, who won Sunday’s race as well as Friday’s.

“If something happened to me, I wouldn’t want the racing to stop, and I wouldn’t want anyone to stop just for me. I take full responsibility, take it in, it’s what I want to do. This is my life.”

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